A teenage boy was shot by police and later died amid clashes in the opposition stronghold of Kisumu, one of four counties hit by violence.

The electoral commission said voting in those areas would be postponed until Saturday.

President Uhuru Kenyatta was declared the winner in an August vote, which was annulled because of “irregularities”.

Mr Kenyatta is seeking a second term. Opposition leader Raila Odinga has pulled out of the contest.

Tens of thousands of police and other security staff deployed to protect voters and polling stations, which closed at 17:00 local time (14:00 GMT).

International observers have scaled down their missions for security reasons.

The electoral commission has seven days to declare the results.

After casting his vote in the town of Gatundu, Mr Kenyatta had urged people to cast their ballots so the country could move on.

“We’re tired as a country of electioneering. It’s time we moved forward,” he said, adding that most of the country was “calm and peaceful”.

Kisumu Governor Peter Anyang’ Nyong’o, father of the Oscar-winning actress Lupita Nyong’o, said 29 people had been injured and two killed by police.

What effect are ethnicities having?

BBC Kenya analyst Dickens Olewe says the ethnic divide can already be seen in the voting, with a high turnout so far in regions where President Kenyatta’s Kikuyu community and Deputy President William Ruto’s Kalenjin community reside.

In parts of western Kenya where Mr Odinga’s Luo community is mostly based, there is a near-100% boycott of the poll.

The electoral commission has postponed voting until Saturday in the western counties of Homa Bay, Kisumu, Migori and Siaya because of “security challenges”. These areas are all likely to continue observing the opposition’s boycott.

Ethnic-based politics is deep-seated in Kenya, fuelled by the illusion that if “one of us” is in power then people from that community will benefit, he says.

Some Kenyans may also feel Mr Odinga’s withdrawal makes the competition somewhat redundant; others may be just fed up with the ongoing political crisis – all factors that could affect the overall turnout, he adds.

What has happened since the first vote?

The announcement by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) of Mr Kenyatta’s victory on 8 August led to inflammatory rhetoric and attacks on the body.

Last week, a senior member of the IEBC fled to the US amid death threats.

About 50 people are reported to have been killed in violence since Mr Kenyatta was declared the winner in August’s election.

Mr Odinga had wanted the repeat ballot to be held at a later date, but a bid to delay the election re-run fell apart after only two of seven Supreme Court judges attended a hearing on Wednesday.

One judge, Deputy Chief Justice Philomena Mwilu, failed to appear after her bodyguard was shot and wounded by unknown gunmen on Tuesday.

Why is there an election re-run?

Kenya’s Supreme Court took the unprecedented decision to annul the August presidential election and demand a re-run in September citing “irregularities and illegalities”.

Chief Justice David Maraga said the election had not been “conducted in accordance with the constitution” and declared it “invalid, null and void”.

He said the verdict, which was backed by four of the six Supreme Court judges, found that the IECB had committed irregularities “in the transmission of results”.

The court said the result was “neither transparent nor verifiable”.

The ruling did not attribute any blame to President Kenyatta’s party or campaign but it nevertheless raised tensions, with rival protests in support of and against the court.

There were running battles between police firing tear gas and stone-throwing protesters in the city of Kisumu, an opposition stronghold, on Wednesday.

Why is the opposition boycotting?

Mr Odinga has said that the IECB failed to make the changes needed to prevent a repeat of the mistakes that marred the earlier poll, although the IECB disputes this.

His opposition coalition – the National Super Alliance (Nasa) – made clear its participation in the election was contingent on reforms being made.

Mr Odinga had vowed to disrupt Thursday’s vote, calling for “massive” demonstrations, but has asked his supporters to stay away from polling stations in an attempt to avoid violent clashes.

In a statement earlier this month, he accused the government of instituting a “dictatorship”, adding: “We are going to win the battle for a free and fair election”.

“Our opponents want an election for the sake of it, we want a better election,” he said.

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Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta, who is seeking a second term, has urged people to vote and remain peaceful.

Opposition leader Raila Odinga, who has pulled out of the election re-run, has called on his supporters to boycott it.

Mr Kenyatta was announced the winner in an 8 August vote but the poll is being held again because of “irregularities”.

The polls on Thursday opened at 06:00 (03:00 GMT) with tens of thousands of police and other security personnel deployed to protect voters and polling stations.

One voter in Nairobi’s Mathare slum, taxi driver David Njeru, 26, told the AFP news agency: “It is my duty to vote. Last time the queue was all around the block and I waited six hours to vote, this time the people are few.”

On the eve of the vote, Mr Kenyatta urged people to cast their ballots: “Our forefathers fought and died for the right of the African to vote, we dare not reject this inheritance.”

As the polling stations opened their doors, opposition protesters attempted to block roads in parts of Nairobi’s Kibera slum, with riot police using tear gas in a bid to disperse the crowds.

The announcement by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) of Mr Kenyatta’s victory on 8 August led to inflammatory rhetoric and attacks on the body.

Last week, a senior member of the IEBC fled to the US amid death threats.

About 70 people have been killed in violence since Mr Kenyatta was declared the winner in August’s election.

Mr Odinga had wanted the repeat ballot to be held at a later date, but a bid to delay the election re-run fell apart after only two out of seven Supreme Court judges attended a hearing on Wednesday.

One judge, Deputy Chief Justice Philomena Mwilu, failed to appear after her bodyguard was shot and wounded by unknown gunmen on Tuesday.

What went wrong in August?

Kenya’s Supreme Court took the unprecedented decision to annul the August presidential election and demand a re-run in September citing “irregularities and illegalities”.

Chief Justice David Maraga said the election had not been “conducted in accordance with the constitution” and declared it “invalid, null and void”.

He said the verdict, which was backed by four of the six Supreme Court judges, found that the IECB had committed irregularities “in the transmission of results”.

The court said the result was “neither transparent nor verifiable”.

The court ruling did not attribute any blame to President Kenyatta’s party or campaign.

The ruling raised tensions, with rival protests in support of and against the court.

There were running battles between police firing tear gas and stone-throwing protesters in the city of Kisumu, an opposition stronghold, on Wednesday.

‘We want a better election’

Mr Odinga has said that the IECB has failed to make the changes needed to prevent a repeat of the mistakes that marred the earlier poll, although the IECB disputes this.

His opposition coalition – the National Super Alliance (Nasa) – made clear its participation in the election was contingent on reforms being made.

Mr Odinga has vowed to disrupt Thursday’s vote and has called for “massive” demonstrations, but asked his supporters to stay away from polling stations in an attempt to avoid violent clashes.

In a statement earlier this month, he accused the government of instituting a “dictatorship”, adding: “We are going to win the battle for a free and fair election”.

“Our opponents want an election for the sake of it, we want a better election,” he said.

–

Source: BBC

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The Supreme Court annulled last month’s vote, citing irregularities. It was won by the incumbent Uhuru Kenyatta.

French firm OT-Morpho says it needs to reinstall the complex voting system for the scheduled re-run on 17 October.

But it said the “significant amount of work” cannot be finished in time.

Details of the potential delay for October’s re-run emerged in a letter from OT-Morpho to the electoral commission, obtained by Reuters news agency. An election official also confirmed the potential delay to the BBC.

The letter, dated 18 September, said two different electronic systems used in the vote would have to be reinstalled for a re-run.

More than 45,000 computer tablets were provided to Kenyan officials to identify voters – using fingerprints and photos – before allowing them to vote.

The tablets were also responsible for the secure transmission of election results, the company said in an April press release.

Irregularities in the transmission of results was one of the problems referenced by the Supreme Court when it annulled the August poll’s results. But more precise details have yet to be released ahead of the court’s full report, due on Thursday.

In addition to the technology problems, opposition candidate Raila Odinga – set to contest the election against Mr Kenyatta – has said he will not take part in the re-run unless members of the country’s electoral commission are replaced.

The commission has reportedly arranged a meeting with both candidates on Wednesday to discuss potential problems ahead of the poll.

–

Source: BBC

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This is great news for a country that has gradually moved from autocracy to democracy. By this judgement, Kenya, has set the pace for entrenchment of justice and democracy, while providing lessons for autocratic countries that are yet to experience democracy in any form.

The election and the court’s judgement in itself have presented very critical lessons that cannot be ignored.

Supreme Court’s cojones: The Supreme Court’s judgement that saw an annulment of the election is very impressive. It is historic. Never has an African court invalidated a presidential election. In Ghana, the then Flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party , Nana Akuffo- Addo lost the election petition case filed in 2013, after losing to then President John Mahama in 2012. Zambia’s Constitutional Court also dismissed the petition filed by the opposition’s United Party for National Development (UPND) against the re-election of President Edgar Lungu. In 2016, the Ugandan Supreme Court dismissed Amama Mbambazi’s petition against the election of President Museveni. The same apex court dismissed Besigye’s appeal against Museveni’s election both in 2001 and 2006.  In most cases, there are needless delays in the dispensation of electoral disputes which have become an albatross in the electoral process in many African countries.

Odinga’s resilience rewarded:This was actually Kenya’s opposition leader, Raila Odinga’s fourth attempt at the presidency and the second time of filing an election petition. Taking a decision to contest an election for four consecutive times is not an easy task. Odinga however decided to toe this path despite the tendency of losing to his opponent. And when he lost this year’s election, he refused to back down and just like he did in 2013, he went to court one more time to challenge the results. His resilience is indeed an inspiration.

Role of international observer missions: The critical role international observer missions play in elections cannot be overemphasized. Their accounts on elections are mostly held in high esteem since there is the firm belief that they are objective and fair.  In fact , the mission for US NGO , the Carter Centre’s positive assessment of the 2017 Kenya election was used in the court. It is therefore necessary for international observer missions to exercise restraint in passing premature judgement on elections as this could possibly set the precedent for violence.

The IEBC’s role: The court had stated that the election was marred by not only irregularities but also illegalities and was not conducted in accordance with the constitution. If it is subsequently established that the results were tampered with then the IEBC officials should be held responsible. It would be inexcusable for a body tasked with the responsibility of facilitating free, fair, credible and verifiable elections to be compromised. Hacking claims by National Super Alliance (NASA) should be thoroughly investigated.

–

By: Marian Ansah/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @EfeAnsah

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In an address from Kenya’s State House, President Kenyatta, however, stated that he will respect the decision of the court and seek re-election.

“I disagree with it because millions of Kenyans… made their choice and six people have decided that they will go against the will of the people,” he said.

He also expressed confidence of a win and cited the many seats won by Jubilee legislators.

President Kenyatta also encouraged all Kenyans to be peaceful and continue to display a democratic spirit in a post on his Facebook page.

Let me ask every single Kenyan, wherever they may be, whatever they may be doing, whoever they may be with – take the hand of your brother, take the hand of your sister and shake it and say amani. Peace. Peace. And I repeat again peace. Your neighbor will still be your neighbor regardless of whatever has happened. The man or woman who sits with you, who resides next to you, will still be your neighbor regardless of their political affiliation, regardless of their religion, regardless of their color, regardless of their tribe. My primary message today to every single Kenyan is peace. Let us be people of peace.

In the Kenya Supreme Court judgment on Friday morning, the court said that the election was marred by irregularities and was not according to the constitution.

It, thus, ordered the electoral commission to organise a fresh poll in 60 days. The Supreme Court Judges ruled by a majority of 4-2.

The historic annulment comes after a petition was filed by opposition candidate Raila Odinga, who had claimed the electronic voting results were hacked into and rigged in favour of President Kenyatta.

–

By: citifmonline.com/Ghana, with files from capitalfm.co.ke

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“We have no faith at all in the electoral commission, they have committed criminal acts. Most of them actually belong to jail and therefore we are going to ask for their prosecution,” Mr. Odinga said.

The Kenya Supreme Court judgment on Friday morning said that the election was marred by irregularities and was not according to the Constitution and ordered the electoral commission to organise a fresh poll in 60 days.

The historic annulment comes after Mr. Odinga filed a petition claiming the electronic voting results were hacked into and rigged in favour of President Uhuru Kenyatta.

Speaking after the Supreme Court judgment on Friday, Mr. Odinga said he also had questions concerning will who will oversee the next election.

“There are more fundamental decisions to made in the days ahead, including who will conduct the next elections… It is now clear that the entire IEBC [electoral commission] is rotten,” he said.

He added that it was “clear that the real election results were never shared with Kenyans. Someone must take responsibility,” as he demanded criminal prosecutions and an inquiry.

Mr. Odinga also said the Supreme Court verdict “puts on trial” the international observers, which included former President John Mahama, who led a 15-member team from Commonwealth nations to observe the general elections. who “moved so fast to

Mr. Odinga accused the international observers of moving “so fast to sanitise fraud,” and stressed that “their role must be re-examined as it is highly politicised.”

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By: citifmonline.com with files from the BBC

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The Supreme Court Judges ruled by a majority of 4-2 that the win by President Uhuru Kenyatta was “null and void” as a result of irregularities committed by the election board and ordered a fresh ballot be held within 60 days.

It is the first time in Kenya’s history an election result has been cancelled.

The historic move comes after a petition was filed by opposition candidate Raila Odinga.

He had claimed the electronic voting results were hacked into and rigged in favour of Mr Kenyatta.

The Kenyan leader had won a second term on 8 August with 54% of the vote, but the court has now decided the poll was not conducted in line with the constitution.

Judge David Maranga, announcing the verdict, said: “The declaration (of Kenyatta’s win) is invalid, null and void.

“The first respondent (the election board) failed neglected or refused to conduct the presidential election in a manner consistent with the dictates of the constitution.”

Mr Odinga said: “This is a historic day for the people of Kenya and by extension for the people of the continent of Africa.”

The court’s decision paves the way for a new race for the presidency between Mr Kenyatta and Mr Odinga.

Kenya’s main domestic poll monitoring organisation, ELOG, had previously said it found no evidence to suggest the election was manipulated or inaccurate.

Mr Odinga has contested the last three elections and lost each time.

On each occasion he has alleged the polls had been rigged.

In 2013, the supreme court dismissed his petition.

A number of people died last month after protests over the latest election result turned violent.

–

Source: newstalk

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Rwanda’s Paul Kagame who was also re-elected a week ago congratulated President Kenyatta for a successful election and the trust Kenyans have placed on him.

“Congratulations my brother @UKenyatta for a successful election and the trust Kenyans have placed in you!,” he tweeted.

Uganda’s Yoweri Museveni said he hoped President Kenyatta would continue with the task of promoting unity and development in Kenya.

He said under his leadership, Kenya had continued to be a key regional, economic, peace and security partner.

“I therefore look forward to continue working with you to strengthen further the brotherly relations and cooperation between our two countries as well as other EAC partner states in our quest to develop our region,” Museveni, who is also the current chairperson of the East African Community, said.

President John Magufuli of the United Republic on Tanzania has also congratulated President Kenyatta on his re-election.

Magufuli wished Kenyatta success in his second term as president, in an early morning tweet Saturday.

“I congratulate you my brother Uhuru Kenyatta for being elected as president for a second term. I wish you success,” he tweeted.

Namibia’s Hage Geingob also tweeted a congratulatory message for President Kenyatta’s electoral success and his magnanimity in victory by putting Kenya first.

My brother, @UKenyatta, congratulations on your electoral success and your magnanimity in victory by putting #Kenya first.

Burundi President Pierre Nkurunziza tweeted; “On behalf of all Burundians, I congratulate President elect @UKenyatta and the people of Kenya. Looking forward to strengthen our relations.”

“Congratulations to my brother @UKenyatta on your re-election, Kenyans have spoken that they have confidence in your leadership and vision for the country. God bless East Africa,” tweeted Former Tanzania Prime Minister Edward Lowassa as he joined other regional leaders in congratulating the President-elect.

Council of Governors Chairman Josphat Nanok also sent a congratulatory message saying working together with the National Government will enable effective delivery of devolved services.

“We will endeavour to play our role as members of the inter-governmental body and work with the administration in the spirit of consultations and co-operation,” Nanok said.

–

Source: Capitalfm

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Mr Kenyatta, who has been  in office since 2013, took 54.3% of votes, ahead of his rival Raila Odinga, with 44.7%.

But the opposition coalition rejected the commission’s announcement before the results were declared, calling the process a “charade”.

International observers have described the election as free and fair.

–

Source: BBC

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According to   him, this is an indication that the country is making inroads as far as democracy is concerned.

“We laud the people of Kenya for the peaceful and orderly manner in which they exercised their right to vote of August 8, 2017. We noted that the voters were able to cast their ballots freely. The elections were very competitive with freedom of association and participation right protected and provided for. The voting process and prescribed procedures were largely adhered to throughout the day,” he said.

Provisional results project a convincing win for incumbent President Uhuru Kenyatta.

His main challenger Raila Odinga has rejected the results claiming the results have been tampered with a claim Kenya’s Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has disputed.

Speaking to the media, former President Mahama who is leading the Commonwealth Observer Mission, said their independent investigation show, Raila Odinga’s claims are unfounded.

“With regards to the allegation of hacking, it was brought to our attention…and as President Thabo Mbeki indicated; our observer missions are not clothed with the investigative capacity to even investigate those allegations. So our duty is to take note of those allegations which we did. We listened to Raila Odinga and those allegations were directed at the IEBC and the IEBC said as far as they have reviewed they have not found such evidence.”

Mr. Mahama said inspite of the allegations, the integrity of the elections was intact.

“…The integrity of elections are guaranteed by the backup systems that support those elections so given but not admitting that there was a hacking there are backup systems to still guarantee the integrity of the elections,” he added.

Observer missions call for peace

The various observer missions monitoring the elections in Kenya on Tuesday called for peace in that country following heightened tensions following the hacking claims.

A joint statement from nine observer missions including the African Union appealed to the citizens of Kenya “to remain committed to peace and the integrity of the electoral process.”

“We urge candidates and parties to use the legally provided channels of dispute resolution in case of any dissatisfaction with the process and to urge their supporters to remain calm. We call upon the security agencies to provide necessary protection while avoiding any excessive use of force,” the statement added.

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By: Godwin Akweiteh Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @AlloteyGodwin

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